Strip guide



Patented May 3, 1949 STRIP GUIDE Glenn R. Markle, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Carnegie-Illinois Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 1, 1945, Serial No. 580,404

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a strip guide for rolling mills.

The invention has among its objects the provision of an improved strip guide of simple construction which may be cheaply made and easily maintained.

A further object is the provision of a strip guide so constructed as to allow roll changes in the mill without the necessity of removing the guide therefrom. I

These and further objects of the invention will be apparent in the following description.

Continuous type rolling mills for strip products are generally provided with guides at the exit side of each roll stand for the purpose of insuring the stripping of the leading end of the strip from the roll surface as such strip is threaded through the mill, and for directing it toward the succeeding roll stand. Stripper guides of one type heretofore used have employed a plurality of brass castings which have one end engaged in a slot or opening in a bar extending horizontally between the mill housings and the other end resting directly on the bottom of the work roll with the horizontal line of contact between the casting and the roll a short distance below the pass line of the strip. Such guide has proved objectionable since frequently the guide castings are knocked loose from the supporting bar by the moving strip, and ;consequently dropped into the oil pits beneath the roll stands. A further objection to such design is the necessity of manually removing each of the stripper guide castings when a change of the bottom working roll is made and then replacing them after such new roll is installed in the mill. Somewhat similar guides have been employed on the entry side of a strip mill to insure entry of the strip thereinto after passing over a guiding device such as a billy roll. Such devices display the same disadvantages as the 'prior art stripper guides, in that they must be removed when the rolling mill rolls are changed.

The present invention overcomes the diff!- culties experienced with existing stripper and entry guides of the type described by providing a strip guide pivotally supported on the mill stand in such manner that it may be swung clear of the working roll to provide suflicient clearance for.

the replacement of the working rolls without necessitating removal of the guide. At the same time the support of the guide is such as to prevent its accidental detachment, as in the case of the prior strip guides mentioned above. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a View in vertical section of a frag-, merit of a 4-high mill employing the guide of the present invention as a stripper guide;

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal cross section of the mill shown in Figure 1, such section being taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged view in cross section of the stripper guide, such section being taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

For purposes of illustration the guide of the present invention is shown used as a stripper guide, the stripper uide being disclosed in connection with its use in a 4-high stand of a continuous strip mill. It is to be understood, however, that it displays advantages when applied to mills of other types, as for instance, non-continuous mills and mill stands employing two or more rolls, and when used as an entry guide on the front of the mill. In Figure 1 the mill, indicated generally by the reference character 2, is shown rolling a strip 4 which travels in the direction of the arrow. Mill 2 is equipped with working rolls 6 and backing rolls 8, such rolls being supported in the mill frame or housing ID by means of bearings at the ends thereof. Plates I8 which form the stripper guide are supported on the rear of mill 2 by means of a cross member i2, which is in the form of an angle iron, member l2 being supported on brackets l4 attached to the tops of the roll chocks I6 for the bottom backing rolls as shown in Figure 2. The stripper plates, of which two are employed in the modification shown, are each provided with a forward portion 20, which is bent downwardly so that it almost contacts the bottom working roll 6, and with a straight rearward portion 22, the back end of which is attached to the top of cross member l2 by hinge 24; When the plates l8 are in operative position, therefore. they are supported by the hinges 24' and by the upper flat portion 26 of member I2, upon which they rest. Hinge 24 allows the swinging of the stripper plates I 8 in a vertical plane into the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, in which position they clear the working rolls 6 and provide sumcient clearance for the removal of such rolls vertically from the mill frame. Horizontal plate 28, which extends under the hinge 24 and is.

welded or otherwise affixed to the vertical portion 30 of the member l2, functions both to prevent entry of the end of the strip between the stripper guide and the fixed guide'to the rear thereof and to serve as a stop to hold plates IS in raised inoperative position.

The mill is further provided with conventional strip guiding means at the rear of the stripper guide, such strip guiding means including inclined fixed guide members 32 attached at the rear end thereof to the cross member 34, which is supported on brackets 38 attached to the rear portion of roll frame l0. Guide roll 40 is further supported in suitable end bearings supported on bracket 38, such-guide 'roll conventionally being positioned so that its top surface extends slightly above the pass line of the successive mills.

When the leading end of strip metal is threaded through mill 2, such end falls upon stripper guide l8 and is then pushed up and over such guide whence it falls upon inclined fixed guides 32. The leading end of the strip then travels up guides 32, over guide roll 40, and into a position in which it can be easily led into the working rolls of the succeeding mill.

Having thus fully described the improved strip guide of the present invention, what I desire to claim as new is set out in the appended claim.

I claim:

A guide for a rolling mill comprising spacedbrackets. an elongated angle iron cross bar supported at each end by said brackets, and having a horizontal leg and a vertical leg depending from said horizontal leg, said horizontal leg furnishing a flat upper face throughout the length of the cross bar, a substantially flat strip guiding member, hinge means at the juncture between said legs mounting said guiding member for swinging movement on said cross bar, wherein n said guiding member has resting on the flat upper face of-saidcross bar and is movable about'said hinge means to an inoperative position, and a stop bar protruding hori-' zontallyfrom said vertical leg beneath said hinge means and limiting movement or said guiding member into its inoperative position.

' GLENN R. MARKLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS an operative position I 

